"Fearless" photography exhibition documents LGBT student athletes

Event: Opening reception of "Fearless," photographer Jeff Sheng's series of portraits of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) high school and collegiate athletes. "Fearless" will remain on display through Oct. 31.

When: 6 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 13.

Where:Gregory Gym 3.120 at The University of Texas at Austin, 2101 Speedway.

Background: California-based photographer Jeff Sheng's series of portraits of LGBT high school and collegiate athletes have been displayed at more than 40 colleges and universities, ESPN headquarters, the 2009 LGBT Human Rights Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada and Nike World Headquarters.

Sheng's most recent photo series, "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," featured closeted service members in the United States military affected by the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. The images were widely referenced by the media and activist groups during the repeal of the policy.

Sheng's work has been published in The New York Times Magazine, Newsweek and Time magazine. In 2011 he was featured as one of The Advocate magazine's Forty Under 40 honorees.

Sheng teaches at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and is a visiting lecturer in photography at Harvard University for the Visual and Environmental Studies Department during fall 2011.